Drive through North Wootton near Sherborne and you’ll pass an impressive life-size metal sculpture of a horse, the work of sculptor and blacksmith Martin Galbavý.

Martin has joined forces with creative ironworker Chris Hannam, who owns and runs Dorset Forge and Fabrication, after the pair had worked together in different companies, producing creative ironwork on notable buildings around the country. - however in January Martin came to Chris’s forge to make a go of his sculpture.

Martin, originally from Slovakia where he trained as a sculptor and won the National Coppersmithing Championships twice, came to the UK five years ago to continue his work as a blacksmith and coppersmith, working on his sculptures in his spare time.

Chris says, “Martin now has the space, after joining forces with me, to work and showcase his work.

“My own work is more traditional and includes custom-built gates, railings, balconies, restoration work and general steel fabrication - but it makes for an interesting gallery here at the forge!”

Martin ‘eats, sleeps and breathes’ sculpture - particularly animal sculptures, which are beautifully tactile, and he has had a number of commissions over the past few months.

Hares have been extremely popular as have his life-size horses, and last week Martin started work on a life-size bull.

“I work from a child’s toy for scale,” said Martin, “I don’t do drawings, it’s all in my head.

“I also like to make sculptures within sculptures - little animals like birds and mice in and on the bigger sculpture.”

“He just seems to know where to place things,” said Chris, “never trying them out for size or changing his mind. He just builds.

“We regularly go to the Sturminster Newton scrapyard for raw materials, and he’s like a kid in a sweetshop.

“He’s just started the bull, so there are four hooves on the workbench and he’s working his way up!”

To see more of Martin and Chris’s work go to www.blackmorevale.co.uk/pictures and